Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-05-15
A 4 L
4 Thrilling Adventure. Thai Terminated
Happily For Hiu-Iis Escape From o
Prairie Fire.

~. 4 k"f 'N"H'
A few evenings Z = party OF North
western cattlemcn were grouped together
in the rotunda of the Merchants Hotel,
| discussing different points Of the business
to what per cent. the loss for the past
winter would reach, the prospects Tor the
coming summer, the effect of the Inter
State Commerce law, etc. The recent
prairie fires III the Northwest, and
also those in Kansas, which caused
the loss of life and property
and destroying for this season valuable
grazing lands, We're made the topic OF con-
versation. when one Of the gentlemen
said:
"A prairie fire with a strong wind is 4
ter. lille thing. ! have seen several, but
fortunately was never very close 10 but
one, and il was only by u streak OF good
luck-or perhaps proyidence-that es-
capped alive
When the group had settled back for the
story, the cattleman told this incident,
which has romance enough in it Tor the
foundation of 4 novel.
alt wa in 10 or 10. | don't remember
I which" said the man. II was i'll partner
ship III the cattle business with a man,
whose name Is immaterial, with our ranch
in Indian Territory, below Medicine Lodge.
| We had shipped Il drove of cattle to Kansas
| City, driving them from the Territory to
| Wichita. Kan, which was then the ter
| ..... - , L.,,.l - thn Nt,hi-n, TApala
and Santa Fe road. The drive 10 Wich-
ita was rather disastrous to the stock,
the grass along the route heing
poor and water scarce. On the way home
from Kansas City it was decided that W.
should continue on the main line OF the
road 10 Hutchinson, from which place. |
would take a horse and ride down to the
Territory, while my partner was to 20 on to
Dodge City, and also takca horse Tor home.
The object was 10 find Il more desirable
route on which 10 drive our neXt herd
of cattle in order to reach a shipping
point. Accordingly IstOpped at lIutchin-
son, and before going to bed was III posses
sion OF rs tine 4 piece OF horscllcSh Us you
ever laid vOur eyes on. The distance from
Hutchinson to Medicine Lodge was about
30 miles, which could be reached by Il hard
days ride. Ky daylight Tie next morning.
was in the saddle and ridingSOuth. 1t will
be remembered that at that time Kansas
was little settled west Of the central portion,
| especially of the line of two railroads run
ming east and west through the State. Con-
Sequrntly my ride was a rather lonely one,
the majority OF the living things 10 be seen
being prairie dogs, which would Scamper
to their holes or my approach. Occasion
ally ! would happen upon Il 'dugout, but
throughout the day | did not see Il solitary
house. The duGOutS are strange looking
objects To persons unGCCuStOmcd to them.
Usually they are Simplya hole dug in the
ground, a few poles laid across and prairie
grass and dirt thrown over the top. The
| only redecmiu4 feature about them is that
| they arc cyclone-prooE. Ia some cases i hole
is cut in the side ola hill, but owing to the
nature Of the country this form OF habi-
| tatiou is scarce. The day had been an
usually warm, and | had been riding rather
slowly, with Il view of pushing on faster
when it had become cooler. A breeze
sprang up from the south, and | gave my
horse a tap to urge him ON; but not mind
ing the whip, he started in n different
direction than the one which we had been
goinw. He appeared 10 be uneasy, but |
| supposed this was caused from thirst. The
sun had zone down, and the wind was in
Crc,-in%, bringing with it 4 faint OdOr
Of nurniug grass. As 1t grew dark | could
see Il flicker Of light at 4 dis
tauce, but Thought nothing Of it. 1t was
not long, however, before | discovered the
,,,,., - Ia. L,r,,.'. ,,,.,-f,..r GYr.N,Ii,.r
from right to left, apparently in Il semi
circle, was q streak OF fire, and ! ut once
realized that | was IN Il dangerous posi-
ton.
There was no way to escape except to
turn back, and | Wis 10th TO do that. |
| stood still some time, undecided what to
To. II would be foolish to think of trying
to break through this sweeping wall OF
fire. Turning my horses head in the di-
r"ction from which wc came, | let
him have the reins. lie needed
10 urging and covered the ground in
fine style. | locked back, aud was dis
mayed to ScG that even as fast as we Were
going the fire was gaining III uS. Giving
tic horse a sharp cut with the whip he
gave q lungr forward, but fell, throwing
me over his head. lie had stepped into a
prairie dogs hole and broken Il lee. See
ing that he could 20 no further | drew my
revolver and ended his life. The fire was
now less than Il II lie from me, coming I've
fore n terrible wind, the flames lcaping
high in thcair. by the light | could see a
small hill u few hundred yards away and my
only hope vas Ia reach that, perhaps find
ing shelter Cu the opposite side. ! put
forth nv hest efforts, but before covering
half the distance | could hear the roar OF
the flames aud feel the heat, while the
smoke was sufocating. Making il terrible
effort, | kept TO my feet for a!lcw seconds
more, and then consciousness left me.
When | woke i: was morning, and bending
over me was Il young Woman L;emem'
herring what I had passed through, my
first impression was that | was dead
and m-wcll. where we all want to "a
some time. Bat | soon found my mistake,
and discovered that | was in a cave dug in
the side uf u hill. In flying from the tire
my last step had brought me to the door,
and falling. had forced it open. The young
woman was in great distress, and told IN,
that she feared her husband had beer
caught in the prairie fire. She told me her
history very briefly. saying that she wa,
an orphan, and had been married hut a Short
time. and came from the east with her nus.
band To- make IL home. Her husband had LEFT
her alone two days before, having gene ia
the urareSt town, and thatShe had expected
F.. him to return the evening before. Hastily
eating what she had prepared, We started ii
o. search Of the missing man. The scene VI.
a dcSolatc onc- Us far rs the eye could rcaCl
F.. being u SEA of ashes. We had gone Il littl,
over = mile when we found the charred re
=, mains of the woman'S husband. | left her
+ Watching over him while ! hunted up .
habitltiOn, and securing assistance ",
buried him near where he died. | hired
man 10 take me to my ranch, where | tuunc
my partner had arrived all right. shortly
. after that ! sold ont and came north, but
+ think | shall not forget that part OF the
country soon
Just as the narrator had ceased speaking
a bright little hoy came running up to him
=, saving: